Digging and leveling apparatuses such as draglines, backhoes, front-end loaders, and the like often use replaceable tooth assemblies that are mounted on tooth horns, excavator lips, edges, or the like to provide sacrificial parts that are exposed to repeated shock loading and high wear occasioned by a digging operation. In such systems, each tooth assembly typically includes a wedge-shaped adapter that mounts directly on the tooth horn of the bucket, shovel, or alternative digging or scraping mechanism of the equipment. A wedge-shaped tooth point for engaging the material to be excavated is frontally seated on and securely pinned to the adapter.
Attachment of the tooth point is typically accomplished by means of one or more inserts that are inserted into insert cavities in the adapter. The inserts are internally threaded to accommodate a bolt that secures the tooth point to the adapter. Installation and removal of tooth points secured using such a system requires substantial time and effort because the bolts that secure the tooth points must be screwed in and unscrewed when the tooth is to be replaced. Such screwing and unscrewing operations typically require the use of a powered impact wrench. Moreover, the use of such a tool presents the danger of over-torquing, which results in damage to the threads and possible personal injury to the operator.